Mattress, Pillow & Sheets Tutorial

I wanted to re-post a tutorial on making mattresses and pillows (for doll beds and cribs).  This technique can be used for any craft....here is the formula I follow:

MATTRESS

Measure your "bed" length and width EXACTLY.

Add 1" to length measurement (for 1/2" seam allowance on each side).

Add 1" to width measurement (for 1/2" seam allowance on each side).

Determine "height" you want your mattress to be.

Add 1" to height measurement (for 1/2" seam allowance on each side).

YOU WILL NEED:

2 PIECES CUT @ length x width measurement = top and bottom of mattress

2 PIECES CUT @ length x height measurement = long sides of mattress

2 PIECES CUT @ width x height measurement = short sides (ends) of mattress

(I used striped cotton pillow ticking fabric.)

10 small buttons

neutral color thread

hand sewing needle

scissors

sewing machine

pins

fiber fill for stuffing

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CHEAT SHEET

(These are measurements already done for you for the following items:)

For My Doll Bed:             http://piecesforreese.blogspot.com/search/label/bed

                                     2 @ 22" long x 13.5" wide (top & bottom)

                                     2 @ 22" long x 2.5" high (long sides)

                                     2 @ 13.5 long x 2.5" high (short ends)

For My Baby Doll Crib:     http://piecesforreese.blogspot.com/search/label/crib

                                     2 @ 24.5" long x 13.25" wide (top & bottom)

                                     2 @ 24.5" long x 3.5" high (long sides)

                                     2 @ 13.25" long x 3.5" high (short ends)

For Ana's Farmhouse Doll Bed: ( http://ana-white.com/2010/11/another-farmhouse-bed.html )                     
                                    2 @ 20" long x 15" wide (top & bottom)

                                    2 @ 20" long x 2" high (long sides)

                                    2 @ 15" long x 2" high (short ends)

MATTRESS DIRECTIONS:

1.    Pin and sew all pieces right-sides-together, forming a pillow case, and leaving one "short end" OPEN for turning. 

2.    Turn right side out. 

3.    Stuff with fiberfill. 

4.    PIN and sew short end closed.

5.    Tucks in mattress were made by sewing a button on one side, THROUGH thickness of mattress, catching another button on the other side. Sew back and forth, pulling taut, until buttons are secure, and tie off. Place one in center, and two more off-center at either end for a total of 5 tucks (10 buttons).

PILLOW

For the pillow you will need two pieces of fabric measuring 9" x 6.75".

PILLOW DIRECTIONS:

1.    Place right sides together, and pin around 3 sides, leaving one short side open for turning. Sew.

2.    Turn right sides out. 

3.    Stuff with fiberfill. 

4.    Tuck in fabric on end to create a "hem" and pin.  Sew open end closed.

***********************

SHEETS

These directions will help you to sew a fitted sheet and a flat sheet for your mattress, and a pillowcase for your pillow.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

CHEAT SHEET

For My Doll Bed:

Fitted Sheet:  cut 1 @ 23"wide x 33"long

Flat Sheet: cut 1 @ 23"wide x 33"long

Pillowcase:  cut 1 @ 14"wide x 10" long

For My Baby Doll Crib:

Fitted Sheet:  cut 1 @ 24"wide x 34"long

Pillowcase:  cut 1 @ 14"wide x 10" long

For Ana's Farmhouse Doll Bed:

Fitted Sheet:  cut 1 @ 21"wide x 27"long

Flat Sheet:  cut 1 @ 21"wide x 27"long

Pillowcase:  cut 2 @ 14"wide x 10" long **

**Ana's Doll bed can fit 2 pillows if you want to make 2!

SHEETS DIRECTIONS:

1.    Cut out all necessary pieces from your desired fabric (I used muslin).

2.    Hem all the way around the flat sheet and fitted sheets ONCE:

 3.    Then....FOLD that first hem in and HEM the flat sheet and fitted sheets AGAIN:

4.    You will now have a fitted sheet and a flat sheet that have nicely hemmed edges to prevent fraying:

5.    At this point....your FLAT SHEET is DONE!

6.    Now place your hemmed FITTED sheet FLAT on the floor, RIGHT SIDE UP.

7.    Lay your mattress down on top of the FITTED sheet, making sure that the top of your mattress is laying FACE DOWN.

8.    Center the mattress on your sheet, making sure that you have even edges sticking out all around.  (The ends will be "longer" than the sides....that's fine.)

9.    Bring up the center of each edge and pin it to the pillow....this will keep the sheet from shifting around on you while you work.

10.    Gather the sheet at each corner and pin snugly:

11.    After making sure to pin all four corners, CAREFULLY remove the sheet from the mattress.  Sew along the pin lines until you have created a "pocket" like this:

 12.    After sewing all four corners, turn right side out and try it onto your mattress.  It should fit snugly:

13.    If everything fits well, remove sheet from mattress and turn wrong side out again.  Trim the "pockets" away at the four corners:

 14.    Now turn fitted sheet right side out and place back on mattress.  Your FITTED SHEET is now DONE!

PILLOWCASE DIRECTIONS:


1.    Cut out your 10" x 14" piece of fabric.

2.    HEM along one 14" long edge.  Turn in and HEM AGAIN to create pillowcase edge:

3.    Turn in pillowcase on long edge, making sure right sides of fabric are together.  Your pillowcase should now measure 7"x10".  Pin along raw edges, leaving hemmed end open.  Sew along two raw edges:

4.    Turn right side out.  PILLOWCASE is now DONE!

Please feel free to use these plans to build furniture, for sale or for pleasure, but please do not sell the PLANS as your "own".  Please also give credit to me and link back here!  I hope you enjoy them!!

***I am NOT LIABLE for any plans featured here. Please take every precaution and use your own discretion to make sure these toys are safe for children to play with them.

18" Doll: Doll Bed

The 3rd of 5 projects is this doll bed!

Remember that pile of cut wood?

My daughter has very loving grandparents. 

They discovered that she loves looking at the American Girl catalog, 

and so they purchased an American Girl doll for her at her birthday! WOW!

I set out to make a "home" for her doll. 

My daughter is into the "mothering stage" where she copies everything I do: 

cooking, cleaning, putting babies to bed...

I scoured the internet for doll bed plans, 

and FINALLY found one that I thought could work for me: http://sheilareinke.wordpress.com/2008/07/23/making-doll-beds/

I changed several of the dimensions and added some features to make it my own. 

Mostly I used this "plan" as a guide of where to start. 

I used her 4 "legs" for size, but everything else was changed.

SHOPPING LIST:

2x2:    2 @ 16.5" Headboard legs
2x2:    2 @ 6.5" Footboard legs
1x2:    2 @ 21"  Side Rails
1x2:    2 @ 10"  End Rails
1x3:    1 @ 14.75"  Headboard top rail
square dowel scrap
MDF:  24" x 12.75" Bed platform (with 2 -2x2- notches out of headboard end for legs)

MDF:  10"x7"  Headboard

This is the view of the notched MDF bed platform at the headboard end. (Remember: this picture also shows the square dowel glued to the 2x2 post to hold on the headboard!) The notching comes first, before the square headboard dowels. I simply stood the 2x2 board in the corner of the MDF where I wanted the leg to "pass through" on the headboard end, and drew around two sides of the 2x2. This created a square "notch" that I cut with a small handsaw. Then I checked to see if the 2x2 would fit into the opening....PERFECT!

I nailed the short 6.5" legs onto the corners of the bed platform first. Then I added the short end brace between those two legs, nailing down through the bed platform into the brace. Next I nailed on the side braces, nailing again down through the bed platform. Then I lined up the 16.5" legs at each corner of the headboard end (in their respective notches), and nailed these into the long side braces to hold them in place. Next, I nailed the short headboard end brace between the headboard legs, nailing down through the bed platform and also through the legs themselves.

This is the underside view of the legs and braces (at the headboard end).

The headboard is also scrap MDF measuring 10" x 7". I placed tiny wood (10" long) SQUARE dowels flush with the front of the 2x2 16.5" legs and glued into place. This holds the headboard into place from the front. I then glued and clamped the headboard MDF onto these dowels, and added 2 more wood dowels from the back, sandwiching the MDF between.

Backside of headboard showing square dowels holding headboard into place.

The top rail is a 1x3 measuring 14.75" long, and is centered and flush with the back of the 2x2 16.5" posts. The top rail was the last piece to be nailed onto the bed, nailing ONLY at either end DIRECTLY over each 2x2 post.

A tutorial on how to make the mattress, pillow and sheets can be found here:

http://piecesforreese.blogspot.com/2010/12/mattress-pillow-sheets-tutorial.html

You can see the doll bed as built by another reader, Noni, on her blog here:

http://nonni-and-b.blogspot.com/2011/01/doll-beds.html

She has built both Ana White's doll bed and My doll bed!  Nice job!

Please feel free to use these plans to build furniture, for sale or for pleasure, but please do not sell the PLANS as your "own".  Please also give credit to me and link back here!  I hope you enjoy them!!

***I am NOT LIABLE for any plans featured here. Please take every precaution and use your own discretion to make sure these toys are safe for children to play with them.